Czech analyst: European militaries should learn from Ukraine’s Armed Forces

Czech security analyst and publicist, colonel Otakar Foltýn said this in an interview with Ukrinform.

“We already have a European army. And that European army is called the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” the expert said.

He stressed that if anything is currently functioning effectively, it is the Ukrainian army. According to him, Ukraine’s military has demonstrated that Russia’s armed forces – long portrayed by the Kremlin as the second most powerful army in the world – have been shown to be second only within Ukraine.

“If the Ukrainian army was able to outperform and stop the Russian army, it means, first, that this is already a victory in itself, and second, that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are the most powerful European army, with the greatest combat experience and the strongest will,” he said.

Foltýn added that other European armies should adopt Ukraine’s experience, highlighting the innovation, skills, and determination of Ukrainian soldiers – qualities he said Europe previously lacked. He also noted Ukraine’s advantage in drone warfare, where it has surpassed Russia not only in quality but also increasingly in quantity.

Despite this, the Czech officer said Ukraine cannot currently become a NATO member, although it “undoubtedly deserves to, morally.”

He also argued that there is no reason preventing the European Union from immediately admitting Ukraine, saying that although it still does not meet all administrative requirements, its sacrifices make those issues secondary.

“Ukraine deserves to be in the European Union more than any other member of the European Union,” he said.

Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukraine is pursuing an fast track toward EU membership and aims to open all negotiation clusters with the European Union by 2026.